Winner Spotlight｜A Fun Dining Experience: Wong Chung San’s Award-Winning Stool Redefines Sustainable Creativity

The Future Art & Design Award UK 2025 proudly celebrates Wong Chung San, recipient of the Gold Prize in Sustainable Art Creation for the Autumn Season Award, recognising his imaginative and delightfully unconventional work, “Pizza Wooden Stool.”

The judging panel praised Wong’s creation as “a creative and distinctive concept that makes dining memorable and fun, with strong experiential and marketing potential.” Beyond crafting a functional object, Wong reimagines how design can elevate everyday moments, transforming something as familiar as pizza into a playful and sustainable sculptural experience.

Wong’s creative journey for the “Pizza Wooden Stool” began during a casual gathering with friends—a moment that unexpectedly ignited an artistic idea. As a freshly baked pizza was pulled from the oven and placed on the table, the sight of the cheese stretching into long, delicate strands when a slice was lifted left a vivid sensory impression. It was a fleeting, almost cinematic moment that captured both flavor and emotion. Wong wondered whether such a lively and delicious phenomenon could be preserved through wood carving.

Inspired, he began carving one-eighth of a pizza slice, adorning it with distinctly Hong Kong–style toppings such as pineapple, spicy sausage, mushrooms, herbs, and green peppers. This first slice eventually led to the creation of seven others, forming a complete wooden pizza—one that would later evolve into an imaginative and experiential stool design.

Bringing this concept to life, however, required both technical exploration and creative persistence. Wong wanted to capture two essential qualities: the iconic cheese-pulling effect and the thick crust with molten cheese sagging naturally from its edge. Achieving these visual illusions in a rigid material demanded repeated experimentation. Through continuous refinements and problem-solving, Wong eventually simplified his production process while elevating the stool’s craftsmanship, arriving at a final piece that felt both visually striking and satisfyingly polished.

Wong describes his experience participating in the Future Art & Design Awards as unexpectedly rewarding. He did not anticipate receiving recognition from the judges, and the award became both a confidence boost and a source of renewed creative motivation. It encouraged him to step boldly into future projects and continue exploring new artistic possibilities.

Wong’s dedication to sustainability and craftsmanship stretches far beyond a single project. Having worked with reclaimed log wood since 2014, he established his woodworking identity through both sculptural expression and community education. In 2018, he founded the “木工雕民” fine woodworking studio, where he teaches essential woodworking skills and guides the creation of lifestyle household items. He also frequently collaborates with schools and community centres to introduce woodcraft through interest classes.

In 2021, Wong was invited to participate in the Y-Park eco-creativity project, where he produced a series of “大嘥鬼” wooden sculptures using reclaimed wood, further committing himself to promoting sustainability through artistic practice.

Today, Wong Chung San’s “Pizza Wooden Stool” stands as a charming reminder that design can be delightful, surprising, and environmentally conscious all at once. By transforming a simple shared moment into a tangible, sculptural object, Wong not only captures the joy of dining but also demonstrates how creativity can spark meaningful engagement with sustainability.

View All Winners here